Watch: Works by Black American composers

 

Celebrating Black American Composers  Pictured: Composers William Grant Still, Julia Perry, George Walker, Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, and Margaret Bonds February is Black History Month, a time for us to recognize the triumphs, struggles, and contributions of Black Americans. When it comes to classical music, the wheels of representation have turned more slowly for Black artists and composers. While arts organizations have made more of an effort in recent years to program composers from historically underrepresented communities - works by composers of color and women rose from 4.5% in 2015 to 22.5% in 2022 - we still have a long way to go.   One of Resonance Works’ ongoing missions is to lead the way in normalizing diversity in classical music, and we continue to work toward that goal with every season. We have had the honor to perform a number of works by both historic and living Black American composers in our 11-year history. As this month comes to a close, we wanted to share some of our performances of music by Black composers, in hopes that it will inspire you to seek out their music long after February is over. L'assassino by K.F.Jacques  Commissioned by Resonance Works as a digital companion piece to our 2022 performance of Rigoletto, K.F. Jacques’ L’assassino is a prequel that tells the dark backstory of Rigoletto’s famous assassin, Sparafucile. It stars soprano Dana Campbell as Maddalena, Andrzej Lenert as The Boss, and the composer himself sings Sparafucile.  Composer K. F. Jacques combines traditional classical music with hip-hop, creating a musical language all his own. He is a classical singer, composer, and hip hop producer. His work, Corsair, premiered in the Decameron Opera Coalition's 2020 Tales from a Safe Distance, and went on to win Best Opera Production of 2020 from the Chicago Reader. Tales was awarded the Excellence in Opera Award from WXQR, the Best Collaboration in 2020 by 360 of Opera, and Operawire’s Best of 2020: Top Industry-Defining Moments of the Year. Love, Let the Wind Cry... How I Adore Thee by Undine Smith Moore Composed in 1961, Love, Let the Wind Cry uses translated text of the Greek poet, Sappho, and was written for the wedding of Undine Smith Moore’s friends, Jewell and Leon Taylor Thompson. This performance, featuring soprano Charlene Canty and pianist Karen Jeng Lin, is from our 2020 digital program, March of the Women.   Often referred to as the "Dean of Black Women Composers", Undine Smith Moore (1904-1989) was a composer, pianist, and professor. She composed 50 choral works, 21 compositions for solo voice and accompaniment, and 18 instrumental pieces. In 1981, Moore's Pulitzer Prize-nominated oratorio, Scenes from the Life of a Martyr, premiered at Carnegie Hall. The oratorio is based on the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Moore considered it her "most significant work". She co-founded the Black Music Center at Virginia State College, which aimed to educate about the “contributions of Black people to the music of the United States and the world.” She described it as the proudest moment in her career. Fantasie No. 1 in G minor by Florence Price  Florence Price's Fantasie No. 1 in G Minor was composed in 1933, around the same time of Price’s earliest successes as a composer. This short, melodic showpiece infuses Romantic-era music with the call-and-response style of African American spirituals. This performance is from our 2020 Virtual Resonance Chamber Series. Dawn Posey plays violin, with Jack Kurutz at the piano.  Florence Price (1887-1953) was a groundbreaking composer, pianist, and educator. Price composed over 300 works: four symphonies and four concertos, as well as choral works, art song, chamber music, and music for solo instruments. In 1933, Price became the first Black woman to have a piece played by a major symphony orchestra, when the Chicago played her Symphony in E Minor. In 2009, a substantial catalogue of her compositions was rescued from an abandoned Illinois house slated for demolition. Since then, her music has rapidly re-entered the wider classical canon. Tickets are now on sale for ¡Tumbao! A Celebration of Afro-Latin Music! Join us Sunday, April 28, at 3:00 PM for ¡Tumbao! A Celebration of Afro-Latin Music!  Curated by acclaimed soprano Zuly Inirio, this energetic, interactive program is a celebration of Afro-Latin culture. Joined by pianist Amaury Morales and percussionist Hugo Cruz, Inirio will perform traditional Afro-Cuban and Afro-Dominican music as well as works by Montsalvatge, Bor, Lecuona, and more. There is only ONE performance - don't miss your chance to experience ¡Tumbao!  Sunday, April 28 at 3:00 pm First United Methodist Church, Bloomfield featuring: Zuly Inirio, soprano Amaury Morales, piano Hugo Cruz, percussion Tickets for ¡Tumbao!